How to Learn a New Skill – 4 Quick Steps

To learn a new skill, break it down into smaller parts so that you will learn it at your own pace. Keep practicing it until the habit or skill becomes second nature. This formula applies to any skill; whether physical or mental. The author Josh Kaufman in his book, The First 20 Hours, argues that you can learn basic proficiency in almost any skill in under 20 hours of dedicated practice. His process for doing this breaks down into a series of four distinct steps.

1. Deconstruct The Skill:

The first step in Kaufman’s process is to deconstruct the skill. Break it into smaller parts and then work on each of these aspects. For example, if you aim to learn the guitar, start with the basic chords. Now move on to learn the chords relevant to your song. With this process, you may not be able to playing the full chords, or know much about the different techniques. But you have set about achieving your goals – learning to play your favorite song on the guitar!

2. Learn About Each Sub-Skill:

At this point, you want to take each sub-skill that you have prioritized and learn enough about it so that you can practice well. Meanwhile, identify your mistakes and correct wherever wrong.

3. Eliminate Barriers to Success:

The third step is to remove any potential obstacles that affect your practice. Many students lack motivation in the long-term. So find ways to energize yourself on a constant basis. You could find a partner or joining a forum where you can talk about your interest. Sometimes, a simple thing as making a record of things that you have practiced everyday is all you need.  By doing this, you can see a chain developing that you don’t want to break.

4. Practice Deliberately:

The fourth and final step of the process is to practice deliberately. In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman’s rule is that you must practice consciously until you have achieved your goals for each sub-skill that you prioritized or until you have hit 20 hours of dedicated work. You can learn by using a timer or a clock and track the number of hours you work. It helps to analyze your performance; see the mistakes you’re making, and make improvements.

Here are a few additional tips you can use to make your journey even more successful.

• Attempt to imitate the work of a master. Analyze the job and then try to emulate.
• Get a coach or an online class help tutor and a course that you wish to take. Having a reliable online help tutor is probably the best option when you want help with a particular task.

The best time to start learning a skill is now! So whatever it is that you want to learn, use these four steps and get started right away.